Department for Transport

Aviation: Fuels

Viscount Waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they plan to secureSustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) development in the UK.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) will have a key role in driving down carbon emissions in the UK aviation sector and the Government is fully committed to accelerating its development. The UK Government’s SAF programme is already one of the most comprehensive in the world. This includes £62m of previous funding made available to support the early development of SAF revenue support under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation, and the development of a SAF clearing house for fuel testing and certification. On top of this, last year the Government announced a £400m partnership with Breakthrough Energy Catalyst, which will allow SAF projects to apply for further capital funding. Last week the Government announced that it will introduce a SAF mandate. By prescribing mandatory SAF use, we will generate secure and growing UK SAF demand. The SAF mandate will require at least 10% (c1.5bn litres) of fuel to be made from sustainable sources from 2030. Alongside this announcement, the Government launched the £165 million Advanced Fuels Fund to drive our new commitment to have at least five commercial SAF plants under construction in the UK by 2025. Building on the success of the previous competitions, the grant funding will support projects looking to develop large scale advanced fuel production facilities in the UK. The Government also continues to work in partnership with industry and investors to build long term supply. We’re actively looking at how to create the long-term conditions for investable projects in the UK, by demonstrating technology that works at scale, ensuring demand via the mandate, looking at an overarching strategy for sustainable feedstocks and sources and considering what further measures might be needed, from both industry and government.

Airports: Standards

Viscount Waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking toensure the continued resilience of UK airports for both (1) passengers, and (2) freight operators.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: We have been extensively engaging with industry at both ministerial and official level since the beginning of the year. During these meetings we have been clear that the volume delays and late notice cancellations are unacceptable, and airlines must have realistic schedules they can deliver. On 30 June, the Secretary of State announced 22 measures the Government is taking to support the aviation industry, including: to help recruit and train staff; ensure the delivery of a realistic summer schedule through a slots amnesty; minimise disruption; and support passengers when delays and cancellations are unavoidable. We are now clear that industry needs to manage their operations effectively. The Aviation Minister is also chairing a Strategic Risk Group which meets weekly to bring together senior executives from across the sector to highlight issues, assess mitigations, and encourage collaborative working.

Airports: Weather

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking to ensure airports are resilient to rising temperatures in the UK.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Aviation operates in the private sector and it is therefore for airports to consider the impacts of periods of extreme heat on their operations. Safety is an utmost priority and therefore in extreme heat airports have increased monitoring of operations, including the aerodynamics of an aircraft, runway temperatures and the operational environment for staff and passengers. The sector has well-rehearsed plans in place to manage with heat and mitigate the effect upon operations.

Airports

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the condition of runways at UK airports and their ability to withstand climate change-related weather conditions.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Safety is our utmost priority in aviation and therefore in extreme heat UK airports have increased monitoring of operations, including runway inspections. There are a number of factors that can impact wear of runways. To mitigate these risks, regular rehabilitation and resurfacing works are scheduled by all major airports to keep their runways in the best condition to support aircraft movements safely. In addition, the Civil Aviation Authority requires all certified airports to inspect their runway a minimum of two times a day along the standard international guidelines for inspection. HM Government recognises that the fight against climate change is one of the greatest and most pressing challenges facing the modern world. The third National Adaptation Programme is due in 2023. It will showcase the government’s strategy and plans to tackle the effects of climate change, including how to protect people, infrastructure and the environment in heatwaves.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Heating: Rural Areas

The Lord Bishop of Gloucester: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have plans to help households in rural communities move away from higher cost fuel sources for heating.

Lord Callanan: The Government recognises that heating oil prices have risen steeply over the past year and has therefore set out a £37 billion package of support. This includes financial support which remains available for heating oil customers with energy bills, if eligible, through the Warm Home Discount, Winter Fuel Payment and Cold Weather Payment schemes. The Government continues to believe it essential that heating oil consumers receive a fair deal. There is an open market for the supply of domestic heating oil in the UK as the Government believes this is the best long-term guarantee of competitive prices.

District Heating

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures (1) they, and (2) Ofgem, are taking to ensure that homes connected to heat networks are not locked into high fossil fuel heating systems.

Lord Callanan: To ensure heat networks do not remain on fossil fuel systems, the Government has introduced the Green Heat Network Fund (GHNF). The GHNF is a 3 year £288 million capital grant fund which helps heat networks install cost-effective low-carbon heat sources. The Government is also proposing to regulate heat networks through the Energy Security Bill, which would provide powers to set carbon emissions limits on heat networks as part of the move to net zero. Under the Bill, it is envisaged that Ofgem will be appointed as the regulator for heat networks and enforce carbon limits.

Energy: Conservation

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their plans to establish a regulatory framework for heat networks as set out in the Energy Bill [HL], what steps they are taking to ensure that properties’ energy efficiency is improved when they are connected to a heat network; and what funding will be available for any such energy efficiency improvements.

Lord Callanan: Following the success of the Heat Network Efficiency Scheme (HNES) Demonstrator which was delivered in FY21/22 , we are now developing a multi-year scheme, the HNES Main. This scheme will be a key part of the Heat Network Transformation Programme in which we are investing £338 million from 2022-2025. The HNES Main is likely to again offer both capital grants and revenue grants to existing district heating or communal heating projects to improve the efficiency of the communal network. Alongside the improvements to network efficiency the government has announced more than £3.9 billion of new funding for decarbonising heat and buildings, including measure to improve the energy efficiency of properties.

Department of Health and Social Care

Heart Diseases: Diagnosis and Medical Treatments

Baroness Masham of Ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that GP surgeries with low performing Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) data are provided with additional support for (1) diagnosing, and (2) treating, heart failure.

Lord Kamall: The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) is an annual voluntary incentive programme for general practitioner (GP) practices in England, which rewards practices for meeting the required thresholds for each indicator. No additional support is offered specifically to low-performing practices.   NHS England is implementing measures to raise awareness of the symptoms of heart failure and ensure early and rapid access to diagnostic tests and treatment, overseen by the National Clinical Director for Heart Disease and supported by an Expert Advisory Group of clinical experts. This includes the launch of community diagnostic centres which could deliver over one million additional computerised tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound scans, echocardiograms scans and X-rays. This will support Primary Care Networks to increase diagnostic capacity for the detection of conditions such as heart failure and heart valve disease.NHS England has developed five ‘NHS@Home’ pilots to support patients with heart failure in the community. The ‘Managing Heart Failure @home’ scheme aims to support people living with heart failure to manage their condition at home through patient education and remote monitoring. Working with a specialist clinician, patients are supported to understand their medications, reduce salt intake, monitor and record daily weight and blood pressure measurements and recognise symptoms which may indicate deterioration. The ‘Blood Pressure @Home’ initiative allocated more than 220,000 blood pressure monitors in England to enable at-risk patients to measure their blood pressure remotely and share the results with their GP practice, reducing the need for appointments and travel. These schemes aim to reduce hospital admissions and increase patients’ quality of life, through improved understanding of the management of the condition and communication with primary, community and specialist teams.

General Practitioners: Finance

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they anticipate to return to fundinggeneral practice to 11 per cent of the total NHS budget.

Lord Kamall: There is no target on the proportion of the National Health Service budget allocated for the funding of general practice. In 2019, we invested an additional £4.5 billion in primary medical and community care by 2023/24. In February 2020, we committed at least a further £1.5 billion until 2023/24 for the recruitment of additional staff in general practice.

General Practitioners: Recruitment

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many General Practitioners they forecast to be in practice in 2030.

Lord Kamall: The information requested is not held centrally. However, we are working to increase the general practice workforce, address the reasons why doctors leave the profession and encourage them to return to practice.The updated GP Contract Framework for 2020/21 also provides new retention schemes and continued support for existing schemes to retain general practitioners. We are also working with the National Health Service and the profession to understand what further support may be required and to improve the working environment.

Department of Health and Social Care: Doctors and Social Workers

Lord Laming: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many posts in the Department of Health and Social Care are filled by qualified (1) doctors, and (2) social workers.

Lord Kamall: There are 49 qualified doctors in Departmental posts. While there is no centralised record of the number of social workers in the Department, there are three qualified social workers in the Chief Social Worker’s office.

Health: Equality

Lord Farmer: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement by theMinister for Women's Healthon 20 July, what evidence they have to support the claim thatthat there is a “gender health gap” adversely affecting women and the Government needs to “ensure women receive the same standards of care as men”, given that men die younger than women and are more likely to die from heart disease, suicide, COVID and diabetes.

Lord Kamall: The Women’s Health Strategy for England found that although on average women in the United Kingdom live longer than men, women spend a quarter of their lives in ill-health and disability compared to approximately one fifth of men. Disability-free life expectancy has reduced at almost twice the rate for women in England compared to men. A copy of the Women’s Health Strategy for England is attached.The call for evidence which informed the Women’s Health Strategy received approximately 100,000 responses from individuals and over 400 written responses from organisations with expertise in women’s health. The Results of the ‘Women’s Health – Let's talk about it’ survey found that women have been under-represented in research studies, including clinical trials, therefore there is less understanding of how general health conditions and disabilities such as cardiovascular disease and mental health conditions can affect women and men differently. Respondents also reported that there is insufficient understanding of conditions which solely impact women, such as endometriosis or the menopause. A copy of the Results of the ‘women’s health – let's talk about it survey is attached.The responses received to the call for evidence from organisations and experts in women’s healthcare also highlighted the need for improved education and training in women’s health conditions for healthcare professionals. Respondents also reported a lack of awareness of women’s health issues among some healthcare professionals, including the causes of infertility and treatment for gynaecological conditions. A copy of the Results of the of the written evidence submitted by organisations and experts is attached.attachment (pdf, 523.6KB)attachment (pdf, 1356.5KB)attachment (pdf, 620.5KB)

Ministry of Justice

Mental Capacity: Payments

Lord Young of Cookham: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to publish a response to their consultation Mental Capacity Act: Small Payments Scheme, which closed on 12 January.

Lord Bellamy: The consultation exposed a number of issues that required further consideration. We have continued working with relevant stakeholders to unpack these further to test the feasibility and design of any scheme, in particular the safeguards required and practical considerations to meet the aims of simplicity.We have also been working with the Court of Protection to consider operational improvements. We are preparing the Government response to the consultation and will provide the House with a further update in the autumn.

Central Criminal Court: Judges

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of gender balance amongst the judges sitting to hear criminal cases in the Central Criminal Court.

Lord Bellamy: As of 1 April 2022, the Central Criminal Court had 8 female and 9 male judges which includes Circuit Judges, Recorders, the Recorder of London and the Common Serjeant of London.The statistics published in the Diversity of the Judiciary: Legal professions, new appointments and current post-holders- 2022 www.gov.uk/government/statistics/diversity-of-the-judiciary-2022-statistics - do not include specific statistics for the Central Criminal Court.Overall, as of 1 April 2022, the proportion of women in the England and Wales courts judiciary is 35%, an increase from 24% in 2014. The Government recognises the importance of gender and diversity in our courts, which is why the Ministry of Justice, as a member of the Judicial Diversity Forum (JDF), works closely with the judiciary, the Judicial Appointments Commission, the Legal Services Board and the legal professions to take actions to increase judicial diversity.

Protection From Eviction Act 1977: Prosecutions

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many prosecutions have been brought under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 for (1) harassment, and (2) unlawful eviction, by each police force in England and Wales in 2020 and 2021.

Lord Bellamy: The Ministry of Justice publishes information on the number of prosecutions, for the years 2017 to 2021, in England and Wales, in the Outcomes by Offence data tool 2021 (MS Excel Spreadsheet, 21 MB). An extract of this tool is provided alongside this response with the requested figures in. Instructions on how to access this data are also included below.In the Outcomes by Offence data tool:Select the ‘Prosecutions and Convictions’ worksheet.Filter by HO offence code and select the following offences:08701 - Unlawful eviction of occupier (Contrary to section 1(2) and (4) of the Protection from Eviction Act 1977)08702 - Unlawful harassment of occupier (Contrary to section 1(3A) and (4) of the Protection from Eviction Act 1977)Move the Police Force Area filer to the rows area for a breakdown by PFA.The following HO offence code may also be of interest:08703 - Protection of occupiers against eviction and harassment (S.210 Housing Act 2004 and S.3 Caravan Sites Act 1968)If the police were to charge a different offence, such as common assault, that would not be included in the attached table.PQ HL1806 Table (xlsx, 20.8KB)

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

South Africa: AfriForum and Community Development

Lord Hain: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatdiscussions they have had with the government of South Africa about (1) the activities of AfriForum, and (2) community relations in that country.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: Our High Commission in Pretoria regularly engages with the Government of South Africa and civil society regarding social issues including community relations. There have been no meetings with the Government of South Africa to discuss the activities of AfriForum.

Ukraine: Development Aid

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much Official Development Assistance funding originally earmarked for other countries has been reallocated to Ukraine.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Annex A to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) Annual Report and Accounts show that the FCDO spent £103,424 in Ukraine in 2021-22. This was funded through the normal allocations process plus underspends which emerged elsewhere, mainly ODA-eligible operating expenditure. We cannot comment on other government departments' ODA allocations.

Pakistan: Human Rights

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take in response to human rights abuses in Pakistan, particularly against the people of Balochistan; and whether those plans will include the use of Magnitsky-style sanctions.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is concerned about reports of human rights abuses and violations in Pakistan, including in the province of Balochistan. We regularly raise our concerns about human rights at a senior level with the Government of Pakistan. I, did so most recently on 23 June, when I met Pakistan's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hina Rabbani Khar. In February 2022, the British High Commissioner to Pakistan visited Balochistan, where he met the Chief Minister, Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, and discussed the protection of human rights. It is not appropriate to speculate who may be designated under the sanctions regime in the future. To do this could reduce the impact of the designations.

Developing Countries: Sustainable Development

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to undertake a second Voluntary National Review at the UN High-Level Political Forum on the sustainable development goals.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The International Development Strategy and Integrated Review reaffirm the UK's commitment to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.The UK brings powerful economic and political tools to our development partnerships: aid, diplomacy, trade, investment, expertise and influence. Our programme of activity at this year's High Level Political Forum demonstrated how we will use these to meet the evolving needs of our partners and support achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.The UK's first Voluntary National Review (VNR) provided a comprehensive account of actions being taken across the UK by government and other actors. No decision has been made about a follow-up to the 2019 VNR.

Pakistan: Females

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they (1) are implementing, or (2) plan to implement, to use (a) Official Development Assistance, or (b) other policies, to address the issues of (i) child and maternal mortality and ill health, (ii) low levels of girls' education, and (iii) other gender issues, in Balochistan.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The FCDO remains committed to targeting future aid to Pakistan's marginalised groups and have developed a Pakistan Network Gender Strategy (2022-27) to increase our focus on women and girls. We regularly raise at a senior level our concerns about the human rights situation in Pakistan, including gender equality, at a senior level with the Government of Pakistan. In February 2022, the British High Commissioner to Pakistan visited Balochistan, where he met the Chief Minister, Mir Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, and discussed the protection of human rights.The UK also has a proud track record of delivering effective development assistance to Pakistan. During the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the UK Government worked with the World Food Programme to deliver life-saving nutrition assistance for children and pregnant and lactating women in Balochistan. We also scaled up water, sanitation and hygiene interventions. The UK continues to fund education programmes in the refugee-hosting areas of Balochistan which support both Pakistani and Afghan refugee children.

Iraq: Kurds

Lord Austin of Dudley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the potential for cooperation on education between the Kurdistan region of Iraq and the UK.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK supports the Kurdistan Region of Iraq's education sector and recently hosted the Prime Minister and Minister of Education of the Kurdistan Regional Government and discussed opportunities for collaboration in education. In discussions with the Secretary of State for the Department for Education we agreed to work closely to further expand our collaboration. Our Consulate in Erbil continues to identify opportunities for and work with UK institutions that offer both academic and vocational training programmes, including City and Guilds who now have established an office in Iraq.

Hong Kong: Human Rights

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the opinion of Carlos Gomez Martinez, of the United Nations Human Rights Committee that the national security law undermines Hong Kong's judicial independence and the right to a fair trial; and what discussions they plan to have with British judges who serve in Hong Kong.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: China has continued to use the National Security Law and its related institutions to undermine rights and freedoms promised in the Joint Declaration. As National Security Law cases proceed through the Courts, we are seeing the implications of this sweeping legislation, including the chilling effect on freedom of expression, the stifling of opposition voices, and the criminalising of dissent.It was against this backdrop that the President of the Supreme Court, in consultation with the Foreign Secretary and the Deputy Prime Minister, decided that it was no longer tenable for serving UK judges to sit on the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal.The UK judges that remain in the Court of Final Appeal are retired from UK judicial service. It is for them to make their own personal decisions on their continued service in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong: Human Rights

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the remarks by the United Nations Human Rights Committee during the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights review on Hong Kong that the national security law has hindered the fundamental rights in Hong Kong, what plans they have to implement individual sanctions against Hong Kong officials.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is deeply concerned that actions by the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities, including the imposition of the National Security Law, have eroded rights and freedoms in Hong Kong.We note the concerns expressed by the United Nations Human Rights Committee's review of Hong Kong's implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights about the National Security Law and the restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly, association and participation in political affairs. We look forward to seeing the recommendations from the Committee and will review accordingly.We will continue to consider designations under the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations. We do not normally speculate about future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce their impact.

Development Aid

Baroness Helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of UK Official Development Assistance funding is allocated on a multi-year basis.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: HM Treasury allocate Official Development Assistance (ODA) on a multi-year basis to government departments through the Spending Review process. We have set initial multi-year allocations internally within the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office across the Spending Review period, until 2024-25, to deliver the priorities set out in the International Development Strategy and the Integrated Review. Given the Government's response to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, the FCDO will need to revisit those allocations to ensure all ODA-eligible spending is managed within 0.5% of GNI this calendar year.

Hong Kong: Human Rights

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the view of experts from the United Nations Human Rights Committee that Hong Kong's national security law (1) undermines the right to a fair trial, and (2) expands the power of law to law enforcement; and what steps they intend to take in response.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK has been clear that the National Security Law constitutes a clear and serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration. The mainland Chinese and Hong Kong authorities have used the National Security Law and its related institutions to curtail freedoms, punish dissent and shrink the space for opposition, free press and civil society.We have followed closely the United Nations Human Rights Committee review of Hong Kong's implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, including the evidence submitted by Non Governmental Organisations regarding the use of the National Security Law to erode Hong Kong's rights and freedoms. We look forward to seeing the recommendations from the Committee and will review accordingly.The UN experts' views are for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government to respond to and address. The UK has taken a number of measures already in response to the National Security Law. These include introducing a new immigration path for British National (Overseas) passport holders, suspending our extradition treaty with Hong Kong, and extending our arms embargo on mainland China to Hong Kong.

Ministry of Defence

Joint Exercises

Lord Goddard of Stockport: To ask Her Majesty's Government what military exercises they plan to conduct with allies during the rest of this year; and how many British participants will be in each exercise.

Baroness Goldie: 81 military exercises are planned to be conducted with allies during the rest of this year. Circa 14,500 British Service Personnel with participate across these exercises.

Joint Exercises

Lord Goddard of Stockport: To ask Her Majesty's Government what military exercises they have conducted with allies so far this year; and how many British participants were deployed.

Baroness Goldie: 71 military exercises have been conducted with allies and partners so far this year. Circa 17,000 British Service Personnel were deployed.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit: Debts

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they are providing to Universal Credit claimants who are in debt to become debt free.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: DWP staff provide benefit and employment support across Great Britain through our national network of Jobcentres, who work in partnership with a variety of organisations that offer local budgeting and debt advice support.The Government is keen to ensure that everyone accesses the benefits they are entitled to, which is why we have just launched an eligibility checker that can be found on the GOV.UK website. DWP also funds the Money and Pensions Service that provides additional support to help people, particularly those most in need to improve their financial wellbeing. It provides access to high-quality money and debt advice through its Money Helper services and signposting to third party organisations best placed to help.

Working Conditions: Temperature

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking to set upper-temperature limits for workplaces.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: Workplace temperature is one of the potential hazards that employers should address to meet their legal obligations under health and safety law. The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 place a legal obligation on employers to provide a ‘reasonable’ temperature in indoor workplaces. Detailed guidance for employers on workplace temperature and thermal comfort is available on the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE)website. This guidance includes information on how to undertake a thermal comfort assessment and specific measures that can be taken to improve thermal comfort. Responsibility to make workplaces safe and healthy lies with employers, who should consult with employees or their representatives to establish sensible means to cope with high temperatures. No maximum workplace temperature exists because every workplace is different. No meaningful upper limit can be imposed because in many indoor workplaces extreme temperature is not seasonal, but is created by work activity, for example, in a glass works or foundry. In such environments factors other than air temperature, including radiant temperature, humidity and air velocity, become more significant and the interaction between them becomes more complex with rising temperatures. However, it is still possible to work safely provided appropriate controls are present. HSE regularly reviews and, where necessary, refreshes the guidance published on its website.

Universal Credit: Children

Lord Allen of Kensington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have toabolish the two-child cap on claims for universal credit and child tax credit in order to assist families with the increased cost-of-living; and what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the cap on meeting its original policy aim.

Baroness Stedman-Scott: There are no plans at this time to abolish the two-child cap on claims for universal credit and child tax credit. Statistics on the policy to provide support for a maximum of two children are published every year. The latest stats for April 2022 were published on July 14. These can be found on the GOV.UK website.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Air Pollution: Monitoring

Baroness Merron: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking todevelop the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) monitoring network in order to monitor the progress made towards achieving the air pollution targets set under the Environment Act 2021.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: As part of our work to assess progress towards the new PM2.5 targets, we have already invested £1m to expand the PM2.5 monitoring network in 2021/22, and have added 17 monitoring sites (as of July 2022) to the existing 63 (December 2021). By the end of 2025 we will have invested a further £10m to at least double the size of the original PM2.5 network.

Climate Change

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to consult with local authorities on a long-term plan for dealing with future climate change events causing (1) extreme heat, and (2) flooding.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We are consulting local authorities on the development of the UK's third National Adaptation Programme (NAP3). This is our long-term plan for building a more climate resilient country and our response to the latest assessment of UK climate risks, which is due for publication in 2023 and will run until 2028. This programme will address the advice contained in the third and latest assessment of UK climate risk (CCRA3) from January 2022, which included 61 climate risks and opportunities to the UK, including those related to overheating and floods. We are primarily consulting local authorities through the Local Adaptation Advisory Panel, a Defra-hosted forum focused on climate adaptation issues that brings together central and local government, as well as via the Local Government Association. We are also engaging with groups like the Environment Board of the local representative organisation the Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT). This work builds on previous central-local government collaboration on the development of previous NAPs, including NAP2. NAP2, published in 2018 and running until 2023, includes actions for local government

Avian Influenza

Lord Randall of Uxbridge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the current outbreak of avian flu on wild bird populations.

Lord Benyon: Defra is working with Devolved Administrations, Arm’s Length Bodies and NGOs to monitor and respond to the effect of avian influenza on wild birds. This includes providing advice on mitigation measures that can be put in place to both protect public health and the impact on wild birds where possible. However, avian influenza is a natural transmission process in wild birds and there is limited evidence that mitigation measures are effective at reducing transmission of avian influenza between wild birds. We will, however, continue to take whatever action we can, in accordance with international best practice and the latest evidence. The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) operates a robust programme of wild bird surveillance across Great Britain and engages in year-round avian influenza surveillance of dead wild birds submitted via public reports and warden patrols. Between 25 October 2021 and 22 July 2022, over 3,000 wild birds have been tested. Of these, 1454 have tested positive for H5 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). There have been findings in 347 different locations in 61 different species in 79 different counties. A report (updated weekly) of findings of HPAI in wild birds is published by  APHA on GOV.UK together with outbreak and risk assessments. A copy of the 18 July outbreak assessment is attached to this answer Unprecedented outbreaks of avian influenza are being seen in both Great Britain and Europe as well as North America. In Great Britain there have been large numbers of deaths associated with positive findings of avian influenza in breeding populations of seabird species. Including those listed as GB Birds of Conservation Concern (BoCC5) (copy attached). The impact on Roseate Terns (red-listed BoCC5 species) and Sandwich Terns (amber-listed BoCC5 species) colonies in particular are of significant concern. The UK’s seabirds are an important part of our natural heritage, and their protection is a high priority for the government. Defra recognises the significant threat HPAI is posing to our seabird populations Further to the existing Joint Nature Conservation Committee Seabird Monitoring Programme, Natural England has set up a seabird reporting system to collate records of mortality levels in key seabird colonies which will be used to support assessments of the impact on populations and inform recovery programmes. Equivalent systems have been established in Wales and Scotland enabling data to be readily compared across the administrations.HPAI outbreak assessment 18 July 2022 (pdf, 1368.0KB)Birds of Conservation Concern Dec 2021 (pdf, 1536.1KB)

Home Office

Asylum: Rwanda

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the total number of asylum seekers who have been deported to Rwanda to date.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: There have not been any returns charter flights operated from the UK to Rwanda.The Migration and Economic Development Partnership intends to deter dangerous journeys and illegal entry to the UK, break the business model of people smugglers and protect the lives of those they endanger.

Refugees: Deportation

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government which other countries in addition to Rwanda they are considering as destinations to deport refugees from the UK.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The term ‘Deportation’ refers to a legally defined subset of returns which are enforced either following a criminal conviction, or when it is judged that a person’s removal from the UK is conducive to the public good. The term ‘deportation’ does not therefore apply to relocations under the Migration and Economic Development Partnership with Rwanda.We are unable to comment on discussions that may be being held with other countries. We are, however, committed to working closely with international partners as we act on fixing our broken asylum system. This ground-breaking Partnership is a model that could be replicated elsewhere, and we are always willing to work with partners around the world to tackle this joint challenge.

Deportation: Rwanda

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many deportation flights have flown from the UK to Rwanda; and when those flights took place.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: There have not been any returns charter flights operated from the UK to Rwanda.The Migration and Economic Development Partnership intends to deter dangerous journeys and illegal entry to the UK, break the business model of people smugglers and protect the lives of those they endanger.

Deportation: Children

Lord Rosser: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many British citizens who were children were deported in (1) 2019, (2) 2020, and (3) 2021.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Home Office does not deport children.Deportation is a specific form of removal which is used when a Foreign National Offender (FNO) has received a custodial sentence of at least 12 months, unless an exception applies, in line with the UK Border Act 2007 and the Immigration Act 1971.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Housing: Standards

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to consult on the Decent Homes Standard; and if so, when that consultation will be launched.

Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist: We are committed to drive up standards in private rented accommodation, and we will be consulting in due course on introducing a legally binding Decent Homes Standard in the private rented sector.

Private Rented Housing: Evictions

The Lord Bishop of Chelmsford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that, with the removal of section 21 evictions in the upcoming Renters Reform Bill, private renters are not forced out of their homes as a result of unaffordable rent increases.

Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist: In the Renters Reform Bill, we will introduce additional protections for tenants against unfair rent increases, while ensuring landlords can continue to make necessary changes to rent. We will allow increases to rent once per year in line with current legislation and will increase the minimum notice landlords must provide of any change in rent to two months. We will end the use of rent review clauses, preventing tenants being locked into automatic rent increases that are vague or may exceed market prices. We are clear that attempts to evict tenants through unreasonable rent increases are unacceptable. We will make sure that tenants have the confidence to challenge unfair rent increases through the First-tier Tribunal. We will prevent the Tribunal increasing rent beyond the amount landlords initially asked for when they proposed a rent increase.

Private Rented Housing

Lord Naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total (1) number, and (2) proportion, of households in England in the private rented sector in each year since 2017.

Lord Harrington of Watford: The English Housing Survey collects data on number and proportion of households in each tenure and publishes this every year in our Headline Report, with details at Annex Table 1.1.   The totals for the private rented sector from 2017 are as follows: 2016-17: 4,692,000 households; 20.3% of households 2017-18: 4,530,000 households; 19.5% of households 2018-19: 4,552,000 households; 19.3% of households 2019-20: 4,438,000 households; 18.7% of households 2020-21: 4,434,000 households; 18.5% of households

Energy: Housing

Lord Birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of UK homes have an energy efficiency performance rating of (1) A, or (2) B.

Lord Harrington of Watford: The energy efficiency of housing in the UK is reported separately by each Administration. In 2020-21 2.9% of the English housing stock had an energy efficiency rating of A or B. In 2019 4% of the Scottish housing stock had an energy efficiency rating of A or B.The proportion of housing in Wales and Northern Ireland with an energy efficiency rating of A or B is not reported.

Private Rented Housing: Evictions

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they made (1) to inform their plans for a no-let period of three months, after an eviction for sale, and (2) of whether this is long enough to deter unscrupulous landlords from abusing the grounds for sale.

Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist: The Government is clear that misuse of the new grounds of possession and any attempt to find loopholes within our reforms will not be tolerated. We are engaging widely with stakeholders to assess the impact of our enforcement proposals and consider what action is necessary to prevent landlords misusing grounds for possession.Where a landlord wishes to gain possession to sell their property, they will need to be prepared to provide evidence in court to prove that this is their intention. Introducing a ban on re-marketing and re-letting will allow tenants to more easily demonstrate misuse of the grounds – they can, for example, show that a property has been marketed online. Our assessment is that a three-month restriction acts as an additional deterrent by increasing the costs of misusing a ground substantially and is likely sufficient to prevent a rogue landlord from profiting by immediately re-letting the property at a higher rent. However, we recognise that landlords’ circumstances can legitimately change and the three-month restriction provides a balanced and proportionate approach, ensuring that good landlords are not unfairly burdened if this happens.The three-month restriction is one part of a comprehensive approach to enforcing the new tenancy regime. Other proposals include giving local authorities the powers to issue fines to landlords and allowing tenants to seek redress through a new Ombudsman covering all private landlords.

Private Rented Housing: Tenants' Rights

Lord Goddard of Stockport: To ask Her Majesty's Government what impact assessment they have carried out on proposals to strengthen tenants' rights on the stock of private homes available to rent.

Baroness Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist: We will publish an impact assessment as the Bill passes through Parliament, which will set out the costs and benefits and overall impact on the sector including both tenants and landlords. Our White Paper is based on a balanced package of reforms that support both tenants and landlords, drawing from the experience of reforms in other parts of the United Kingdom.